Selling Cakes in a Small Town

People don’t want to pay for my cakes. I live in a small town and can’t get those high prices in my area. Does location really matter?

Our team always hears about bakers that claim that they can never get “that price” in their small town. First, “that price” is subjective and second, this is a myth! Before we bust this myth, there are things that needs to be taken into consideration.

You can charge what the market will support in any area as long as you do the math and research to support your price. You might need to find a niche market that supports your work.

If you come up with a prices based on what you read online, of course you won’t be able to get “that price”.

Those prices are not relevant to your individual situation or local area. If you you calculate your price based on time, materials, labor, and expenses, you should always be able to get your price.

There is a caveat, and it is a pretty big one that gets overlooked.

The quality in your work and skill must be there, to get the higher prices.

Just because you are beginner does not mean you have to give your work away for free or cheap either, it just means you might charge a lower rate, one that matches the quality you are producing, until your skill improves.

Are you edges crisp and clean?

Is your buttercream smooth?

Is your fondant wrinkle-free?

Do your cakes look picture perfect? Or do they still need some work?

Do not expect the premium price until your skills also match your product. Quality matters.

It is a myth that you cannot get a decent price for your cake, especially if you are in a small town.

This does not necessarily mean you will get big city prices like Sylvia Weinstock, however you should be able to earn a decent amount of income per order if you price and market yourself correctly.

For example, if you know you want to book more weddings, you should be marketing your cakes to hotels and not to online buy and sell message boards or to the elementary school parents.

Hopefully this helps clear things up for you. People pay for what they value, and if you are not selling that value, you will continue to be stuck in your business and not move forward to selling your cakes as a higher price.

About Sweet Success Magazine

This online magazine and business education resource was created after navigating home-based custom cake business ownership for over ten years. The need for small business education and information, targeted to those who own bakeries and cake businesses was very apparent after seeing and experiencing similar business issues in the cake industry. Our goal is to help others through the process of learning to start, grow, and manage their own cake and bakery business.